Improvement in barrel-headers



L. S. THOMPSON.

Improvement in Barrel-Headers.

Patented July 16,1872.

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UNITED STATES LOOMIS S. THOMPSON, OF SPENOERP ORT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN BARREL-HEADERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,375, dated July 16, 1872.

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Be it known that I, LOOMIS S. THOMPSON, of Spencerport, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Implements for HeadingBarrels, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and more expedient method of heading apple, potato, and other barrels than by the means heretofore devised; and it consists mainly in a clamping-lever, which is pivoted to the side strap so as to operate those of both sides of the barrel at the same time.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention as applied to a barrel. Fig. 2 is a transverse elevation of the same.

. One serious objection to the ordinary screw barrel-header is that too much time is occupied in running the screw up and down; and another is the fact that the follower resting upon the point of the screw is liable to tilt, even when the greatest precaution is used in leveling off the fruit on the top of the barrel, so that the head cannot be entered without more or less difficulty, it being often necessary to run the screw up several times to change the fruit from one side to the other to level it in order to get the head to enter the croze all around.

I make the side straps in two parts, A and O, the latter having the chime-hooks it formed on their lower end, and the upper end of the former being secured to the cross-bar B by means of the keys 0 and c, and they are both pivoted to the bow D, which constitutes the lever to operate the straps on both sides. The follower F is rigidly fixed to the cross-bar B, which latter is prevented from rolling by the side straps A. Thus it will be seen that a perfectly-horizontal position of the follower is secured during its downward movement whether the pressure is exactly equal under all sides of the descending head or not.-

By means of the holes 6, Fig. 2, the crossbar B may be raised or lowered on the straps A to suit any varying lengths of barrels.

If desired, there may be an adjustable block attached to the under side of the cross-bar, at each end of the follower F, to strike upon the end of the staves and prevent the head from being pressed in beyond a registry to the croze.

All the parts are connected together in my barrel-header, both for shipment and while in use; and, by means of the joints n, the lower clamp-straps 0 may be folded up, as indicated by the heavy dotted lines y, Fig. 1, for trans portation or storage.

The header is applied and operated in the following manner: It is placed upon the ground or floor in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, except that the follower lies upon the bow-lever D, as indicated by the dotted lines 72; the barrel is then placed upon the hooks h of the straps O, as indicated by the dotted lines or; the head is placed upon the barrel, and the follower raised to the position shown by the dotted lines B and G, and the lever to that shown by the dotted lines d, the follower F guided centrally upon the head, while the lever is carried down to the position shown in full lines; the chime-hoops are then driven down and the head secured in place; the lever is again raised sufficiently to release the follower, when it is swung down upon the lever, as in the first position, and the barrel removed.

There may be a round rod substituted for the upper strap A, and provided with a nut above and one below the cross-bar B.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. In combination with the side straps of barrel-headers, the lever D, arran ged. to operate both sides simultaneously, for the purposes set forth.

2. The lever D in barrel-headers, operating substantially as shown and described, in combination with the pivoted side straps and the cross-bar B, for the purposes set forth.

3. The cross-bar B of barrel-headers when made adjustable vertically upon the straps A, for the purposes set forth.

L. S. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

WM. S. LOUGHBOROUGII, CHAUNOEY PERRY. 

